Following my coursework at New York University, I have come to believe that the following will contribute to creating a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for all students and staff:
Professional development of school staff is a necessary element of any learning environment. I also have working beliefs on the following aspects regarding professional development:
(1) Strategies and responsibilities of the individual teacher and teacher colleagues to continually work to enhance expertise
Teaching and school administration is the same as any other profession in the sense that it requires a commitment to lifelong learning. As teacher work is comprised of many different components, it is necessary to hone the skills needed to succeed in each. School administrators are equally responsible for being knowledgeable of and improving their skillset in each aspect of their work. Additionally, as education is a source of continuous research, it is important for both teachers and administrators to keep up-to-date with information as it arises.
(2) School-wide strategies that could support individual and collective teacher learning
In regards to individual teacher learning, it is important to keep in mind that each teacher is different – each one would benefit from focusing on improving certain aspects of their work that may be different from another. It is important to work with teachers to determine where they need additional support. No one will ever be “perfect” in their profession and will always benefit from additional learning, as long as the topic of that learning is related to their needs.
As educational policies and research evolve, moments will come when everyone will benefit from obtaining learning on the same topic. At times like these, it is necessary to provide options to all about how to go about obtaining said learning. In these situations, teachers and staff become the students, and we know that not everyone learns alike. Therefore, providing options to teachers and staff will enable them to pursue the information they need in the way they can learn it best.
(3) My thinking about issues and concerns regarding “professional development” activities
Professional development activities require the same basic components, regardless of who the audience is or what knowledge is being provided. They must:
These elements are necessary for an activity that desires to teach, guide, and enrich the work of others.
I believe that professional development activities would, under these conditions, maximize the possibility of attaining the desired outcome of creating a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for all students and staff.
Having had the experience of being confronted by an educational culture different from what I was used to or expected, I appreciate the importance of taking the time to reflect and understand one’s principles surrounding instructional leadership.
It is essential to analyze the environment in which one is leading to ensure that the standards are being met and exceeded. I have analyzed two distinct learning environments, the results of which are described and presented here.
I had never really taken the time to examine my approach to teaching prior to my experience in Spain. However, in going to a school environment that differed greatly from what I was accustomed to, I was forced to reflect and alter my standing beliefs and accumulated principals of practice. I had a background of volunteer-teaching Spanish for 2 years at a rural middle school in Ohio before teaching English for 2.5 years at the elementary and high school levels in Madrid, Spain. Upon teaching the students in Spain, I immediately realized that my prior principals of practice didn’t fit the students’ and schools’ expectations.
My concerns could be categorized by having high learning outcomes and fostering student willingness to participate. I have high expectations for my students to succeed and expect them to take responsibility for their learning. However, the Spanish educational culture is not in tune with or based on those types of concerns. The expectation for students is that they pass their courses, but there no emphasis placed on having them excel. Both students and teachers uphold the rote learning system, so student classroom participation is rare and at times even unwelcome.
Due to my prior successes in welcoming and fostering classroom participation in the U.S., I was unprepared for the results those same efforts had in my classrooms in Spain. In breaking with the tradition of rote learning and promoting a student-centered, constructivist approach of cooperative learning, I inadvertently sabotaged the tranquil classroom environment of which I was accustomed to having. Students had never been taught (and, therefore, did not understand) how to work productively in groups or participate in classroom discussions. They viewed the sudden freedom of speech not as a way to learn, but an opportunity to engage in social interactions with their friends and classmates.
I then had the opportunity during my graduate program at New York University to observe a fellow graduate student in his school environment. The paper attached here describes my experience as an observer of his students' learning.
In developing my competency to create the conditions necessary to provide a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment (such as the one proposed in my reflection), I have practiced self-reflection and observation, noting the ways in which I can better my ability to assess and evaluate student learning.
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